PATNA: Addressing the speculation over his possible switchover again Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar on Sunday said that he would remain in the NDA.”I will stay with the NDA,” he told the media during his Pragati Yatra in Muzaffarpur. Nitish’s reaction came days after RJD chief Lalu Prasad offered him a return to the INDIA bloc. Lalu had said, ” Our doors are open for Nitish Kumar. He should also unbolt his gates. This would facilitate the movement of people from both sides.”Reacting to Lalu’s offer, Nitish folded his hands, smiled and curtly responded, “Kya bol rahe hain (What are you saying?)” without elaborating further.Further Nitish said, “Do baar galti se idhar-udhar chale gaye the–ab kahin nahi jayenge’ (We went to here and there twice mistakenly. Now we will not go anywhere),” he said, clarifying his stand on the issue.”We are together and continuously taking Bihar forward,” the chief minister remarked while showing his resolve to keep his alliance with BJP intact. During his ‘Pragati Yatra’ in Gopalganj on Saturday Nitish said,“Development work has been done for the upliftment of all sections. Madrasas have been given government recognition,” he added.The CM said that earlier, there used to be reports of disputes between Hindus and Muslims, but Bihar’s situation changed after the people of Bihar gave them a chance to work. He said that development was taking place everywhere without any discrimination.Meanwhile, responding to the offer, RJD MP Misa Bharti, the ealdest daughter of Lalu Prasad, remarked that Lalu and Nitish had been old friends. She added that only the RJD president knew what he meant.RJD leader Tejashwi Prasad Yadav has, however, repeatedly said that doors were closed for Nitish and the new year would mark the departure of the NDA government in Bihar.A political analyst Pramod Kumar said, “By setting at rest speculations over his switching sides again. Nitish wants to clear any confusion among his core voters particularly women and EBCs as the state is going to the polls in the next 10 months.”He said the JD(U) president’s commitment to stay with NDA came on the day Union Home Minister Amit Shah is likely to visit Bihar.
Source link
